


Stretched Thin

by Keaton Collective (Creeper_Keaton)



Series: For Amurih, A Collection of Prompts [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora/Catra mentioned, F/M, I think this counts as a one-shot, Pre-Relationship, Protective Entrapta, Tired Hordak, others are mentioned - Freeform, quick work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:21:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24580729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creeper_Keaton/pseuds/Keaton%20Collective
Summary: Based on a Tumblr prompt by Amurih;-During the reconstruction of Etheria many of the princesses are demanding more and criticizing Hordak’s work. Ya boi has a breakdown from being overwhelmed by their requests. Entrapta is not happy about that.-Very loosely fits the prompt, and is more flexing my writing than anything serious.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Series: For Amurih, A Collection of Prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777471
Comments: 18
Kudos: 241





	Stretched Thin

**Author's Note:**

> Please be kind!
> 
> I have never written for this fandom, let alone these two, so please be kind with your criticism. I'm afraid I don't have very thick skin.

Hordak groaned as he dropped into a chair, closing his eyes for one blessed moment. A little prod at his ribs made him grunt, and he squinted up at a- could a welding mask be concerned? If it could, it certainly was doing it now. He offered a smile, but his face must have shown more strain than he thought because Entrapta slowly raised the cover, eyes sparkling with worry.

His hand gently caught a wandering lock of hair, claws combing through it. It was a relaxing thing, her hair running through his fingers.

“No need to pause your experiments, Entrapta. I only have a moment.”

“But you just got here! I thought you wanted to test the calibrations on the regeneration pod?”

He groaned and dropped his head back. “I- I admit, I had forgotten. I have been called to Plumeria, to see if the machine I created could be used to instead feed nutrients into the ground. Perfuma is- shockingly intimidating.”

“Did you tell her you  _ just _ got back from Salineas?”

“It did not seem important to note. Would you be willing to wait until tomorrow for the pod? Wait- no… I am required in Bright Moon for my weekly report…”

Entrapta scowled, slamming her mask down over her face. “Salineas yesterday, Plumeria today, Bright Moon tomorrow? They really want to drag you all over the place. When do you get time for you?”

He turned his head towards her, reaching out and brushing his hand against her wrist. “It is my own doing, and I am happy to continue assisting where I can if it keeps me here in Dryl with you after all is said and done.”

She huffed, but instead of pulling her arm away she flipped her hand over, grabbing his finger tips for a quick squeeze before scurrying off. She raised her helmet only slightly, enough for him to catch her pinched expression, but her smile was bright enough.

“Fine, you’re out of science for  _ now _ , Hordak. But if you keep leaving all these projects to me, I’ll train Emily to come steal you away from the other princesses!”

His data pad beeped a notification; his transport had arrived. He stood, pausing at her side long enough to hold a piece in place while she soldered some metal bit to her latest robot assistant.

“I will be gone no more than a day, if all goes well, and then I will be at your service, for however long you will have me.” She gently, boldly, leaned against his side and bumped him. He smiled, and she giggled behind her welding helmet at the thought of the next day they would be together.

Except it was more than a day. A LOT more than a day.

Entrapta had a day or two where she was worried Hordak was simply avoiding her; he had not had much chance to stay in Dryl long after the war, he was always needed somewhere else. And even though they had worked together a _ton_ before, that had been in his own space. This was her space, and it worked perfectly for her. But maybe he didn’t like it. Maybe he hated it.

But those thoughts withered away, sparking something deep deep down, after she hacked his data pad to intercept his messages. Hordak hadn’t been lollygagging at this kingdom or that, purposely avoiding her. It seemed that each princess had a reason to demand something from him, all calling him across the world to their kingdoms. If his incoming messages were accurate, she doubted he had even had time to sleep. And that would absolutely not do.

She tapped effortlessly at her keyboard, red eyes of her mask reflecting in the screen, sending a mass video out to the Princess Alliance. She wasn’t  _ technically _ a part of it, hadn’t found the time to join their meetings (and they were so boring. And there was never tiny food at those things). But it was incredibly easy to hack into their telecommunications system, so why should she bother with all the meeting stuff if she could just do it her way?

“Attention, Princesses! I am calling an  **emergency** meeting at Bright Moon, in- how long does it take to get from Dryl to Bright Moon? Six hours- seven? No, six! In six hours, the meeting shall commence! Frosta, please return with Hordak! Again, this is an  **emergency** !”

She slammed her fist on the console to shut the live feed down, knowing the video would catch that motion before cutting out.

In minutes, she was on her way to Bright Moon.

* * *

Entrapta sat at the table, arms crossed as she glowered behind her mask. Glimmer was fidgeting in her seat, and had been for the past hour. She had attempted stilted conversation earlier, but Entrapta was too cross to talk to her. So it took a bit longer to get from the Kingdom of Snows, so Entrapta couldn’t be expected to think of  _ everything _ when she was this unhappy. And so she sat in silence as the princesses slowly- awkwardly, if her behavioural observations were correct- filed in from their respective queendoms. She heard Frosta before she saw her, the youngest princess’ voice sharp and cutting.

“I don’t understand why you couldn’t get the temperature regulator working before we had to leave! How hard can it be!?”

Hordak’s voice responded, and Entrapta leaned forward so quickly Mermista jumped in her seat.

“I apologize, Princess Frosta. It is two separate systems running simultaneously. It will take some calibrating to keep them at the ideal hot _and_ cold temperatures.”

Frosta responded, something snappy, but Entrapta was seeing red. That might have been the mask. But either way, Hordak sounded way too tired! And when he walked into the hall, trailing the micro-princess, she could immediately see the strain on him. His shoulders were pinched (when had she last checked over his exoskeleton?), cheeks drawn, and even his black makeup looked darker today, from the way his eyes were slightly sunken in from exhaustion. Her hair wrapped both around her chair and the table, tendrils snaking and finding purchase as she hauled herself above the surface. The room descended into a heavy quiet as her hair writhed and latched onto various cups and knickknacks across the whole of the table.

Hordak blinked at her, face going from resigned obedience to concern, understanding, then anger. He cast a glare around the room, scowling. “Has something upset you, Entrapta?” The way his eyes lingered on the princesses, it was clear he was more of the mind that the issue was a someone, not a something.

As done in as he looked, and he asked about her first? Didn’t they see how much he cared? How kind he was, how thoughtful? That deep down feeling sparked into a full-blown ball of fiery rage as she launched at him. He opened his arms to her, catching her with only a slight backstep as her hair wove all around him, cradling him as she spun to face the table. A number of place settings clattered from her hair as it- with a mind of its own- traced his armour, his arms, even brushing his jaw.

“Look at what you’re doing to him!” He made a small noise of protest, but didn’t interrupt her, “Can’t you see that he’s exhausted!? If you want a tireless-  **servant** \- then I will make you all robots! But you don’t get to treat Hordak like this! None of you get to treat him like this!”

Hordak gently caught her mask, turning her back to him. With her back to the table, he gently lifted the mask, a shadowed little smile on his face. The hand lowered, brushing a stray tear that she didn’t realize was even there.

“I am sorry I worried you. It’s alright.”

She swatted his hand, not away (never away), but enough that he knew he was in trouble. “Hordak, it is absolutely not alright! When did you last sleep? Has anyone bothered to feed you? They can’t use you like this!”

His sigh was weary, shoulders slumping slightly. The smile was a bit more fragile. “I have my ration bars, and you know I need less sleep than you Etherians…”

Entrapta seethed, hair pulling towards her body like she was preparing to spring (it drew him closer, too, and that was okay). But before she could snap, there was a quiet voice behind her.

“You haven’t even slept?”

Eyes all focused on Adora as she frowned, rising to her feet. She and Hordak had an- interesting relationship. Of all the princesses, Adora was the only one other than Entrapta herself that Hordak seemed to relax around. If it weren’t for Catra being glued to her side, Entrapta might feel a little wiggly at the thought of their comfort together.

It was something she didn’t delve too deeply into. Those thoughts were getting too frequent lately as it was.

Hordak leaned to the side to peer at Entrapta around her curtain of hair, frowning.

“This concern is unnecessary," though he shot Adora a slight nod in thanks. "Entrapta, do not waste time fussing over me-”

“No, Hordak, that’s the point! Someone has to worry about you because if they don’t, then it doesn’t happen at all! So it’s gonna be  **my** job, because I won’t let anyone use you! Not ever again.”

His eyes widened in shock, ears drooping almost flat against his skull. His mouth moved, some little strangled noise coming out of him. His eyes were glassy, and she felt a similar moisture in her own. She launched into his chest, hiccoughing softly as his arms slowly, slowly raised around her. His own breath caught, enough that she could feel it with her ear pressed against his chest, and she squeezed tighter. His arms wrapped around her, completely encompassing her and tangling in her hair as he suddenly held on like she was the only thing left.

There was a murmur from the crowd behind, Adora shushing a ‘what even is going on’ from Mermista as she ushered them out of the room.

Entrapta’s hair whorled around him, drawing him close as something cracked in him. She held his weight as they slowly lowered, his knees not even meeting the floor as she cocooned them together. He buried his face into her neck, the most skin contact he had ever dared, as he shook in her arms.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have made it this far, first of all I thank you. Secondly, please please hit the kudos. It has been many years since I have written, and no matter how much I pretend it isn't true, I thrive off of validation. I have never been particularly good at one-shots, so I apologize for my probably abrupt endings. I tend to go on, so I need to learn how to create a satisfactory ending before I get rambling... One day.
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed the read, and I look forward to posting more. Thank you all, cheers, and stay safe.
> 
> -Keaton


End file.
